Chopper overloaded before Sydney couple died

Peter Mitchell

A helicopter that crashed into New York’s East River, killing a Sydney couple and another family member celebrating a 40th birthday, has been blamed on pilot error.

US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in a report released on Friday, determined the Bell 206B helicopter was overloaded for the October 4, 2011, sightseeing flight and pilot Paul Dudley, a family friend of the deceased, failed to pull the helicopter out of an uncontrolled spin.

‘‘Witnesses described the helicopter as descending in an uncontrolled spin before it contacted the water, where it then rolled inverted and sank,’’ the NTSB report states.

The flight was meant to be one of the highlights of a family celebration in the Big Apple.

Divers rescue one of the injured passengers after the helicopter crash. Photo: AP/WPIX11-TV News

‘‘The investigation determined that the helicopter was loaded to an overweight condition, likely because the pilot did not anticipate having two additional passengers onboard the helicopter and because he did not perform weight-and-balance calculations,’’ the report states.

‘‘The front-seat passenger stated in a post-accident interview that the pilot did not ask for anyone’s weight or perform any calculations before takeoff.’’